Posts Tagged Aging

It’s November and of course that means that the holidays are just around the corner, but it also means that it is once again National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. You may see familiar buildings in the greater Denver area lit in purple to remind people that the quest for a world without Alzheimer’s is more determined than ever.

Much has happened since my blog entry last November. All very positive, by the way. I appreciate this opportunity to update you on many things that are happening in the field of Alzheimer’s/Dementia. As a reminder, the reason for my passion and commitment around this subject is that three of our four parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease within a year and a half of each other, and they lived for 16, 14, and 11 years with the disease. Although we lost our last “Lovie” four years ago, I remember vividly those many years of caregiving and how challenging it was to juggle work/life balance issues.

I have been with MINES and Associates for six years now and present a lunch and learn session called Alzheimer’s/Dementia A to Z to our client groups. I am seeing attendees of all ages in the sessions and because we always end the presentation with an explanation of the twelve things we can all do at any age to reduce our risk for dementia or delay its onset. I am seeing more and more young people taking an interest in brain health. I am also seeing an uptick in employees seeking coaching on the topic of Alzheimer’s/Dementia through the Employee Assistance Plan benefits that their employers provide.

One thing is for sure. Going it alone while trying to care for someone with dementia is never recommended. Our community offers a variety of resources to family care partners and I will talk about some of them in this posting.

But first, a quick update on promising research! I continue to be the most optimistic I have been in years that a breakthrough is on the horizon. So much going on! One of the most interesting clinical trials is happening right here in the Denver area at the Rocky Mountain Alzheimer’s Research Center on the Anschutz campus. My good friends and renowned neurologists Dr. Huntington Potter and Dr. Jonathan Woodcock are now in Phase III of the Leukine trial. Leukine is a compound already approved by the FDA for bone marrow stimulation. The Anschutz clinic team discovered that it might have possible benefits for Alzheimer’s as well. Stay tuned – you may be seeing updates on the evening news about the great work being done here in our area. There are also other promising angles on how to tackle Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Current thinking is definitely outside the box – many new cause and effect theories are now being explored by the medical and scientific community.

I spent a week in Washington DC in June this summer, representing the Alzheimer’s Association at our annual Public Policy Forum. Our group spoke with every member of Congress and I am pleased to report that we got the $425 million in additional research funding we requested. That will put the National Institute of Health’s Alzheimer’s research budget at $2.3 billion annually beginning in 2019. The National Alzheimer’s Plan that was written into law in 2010 calls for a prevention, treatment, and cure by 2025. Hope has never been stronger that we are going to meet that goal and get this fixed. By the way, when that finally happens, I will be throwing a party for the world so you will all be invited!

In the meantime, there is much work to do to educate, help, and support families who are living with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. The number one question I am asked is what is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia. A good way to explain it is to say that everyone with Alzheimer’s has dementia but not everyone with dementia has Alzheimer’s. Vascular dementia from strokes, Lewy Body dementia, and Frontotemporal dementia are other forms of the most common dementias. While Alzheimer’s accounts for approximately 65% of all cases of dementia, many primary care physicians may not be prepared to provide a specific diagnosis. Asking them for a referral to a neurologist or geriatrician can help a family learn what type of dementia they are facing with their loved one.

While there are no treatments that stop the progress of dementia at this time, there are some drug therapies that may help with symptoms in some cases to some extent for some period of time. Asking your specialist about these options can get a conversation started about what might be beneficial for your loved one.

Aside from the dementia coaching provided through the MINES EAP program, The Alzheimer’s Association provides a 24/7 helpline (800.272.3900) that family members can call regardless of what type of dementia their family is dealing with. This is a powerful resource tool for caregivers who have questions or simply need to chat with someone about behaviors, etc.

Another organization that I am involved with is also at the forefront of trying to improve the quality of life for those living with all forms of dementia and their family care partners. Dementia Friendly Denver is part of Dementia Friendly America, a not for profit, grassroots, all-volunteer initiative that was introduced at the White House Conference on Aging in 2015. Our volunteer team is working on eight projects in the greater Denver area and you can check them all out at dementiafriendlydenver.org. The goal of the projects is to make our community more dementia-friendly and to reduce the stigma surrounding the topic of dementia.

And please remember that you can still enjoy the holidays with family members with dementia. The key is to practice the “Holiday Lite” approach. Things don’t need to be extravagant or perfect. Make sure holiday activities and outings are short in length. Our Lovies wear out faster than we do. An hour for us is like five hours for them. And make sure holiday decorations that look like candy or food are out of the reach of those with dementia. Be prepared for upsets due to the disruption of routines during the festivities and provide rest periods for everyone!

So in closing, as we enter November and National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, remember that you are not alone. Utilizing the dementia resources available throughout our city can help you get organized and knowledgeable. And most importantly, don’t forget to take care of yourselves. Respite care is available in our community and the Alzheimer’s Association can help you investigate options. Exercising, taking walks, meditation, and outings with friends can help alleviate the stress associated with being a dementia caregiver. Best wishes for a peaceful and enjoyable holiday season! – JJ

The book, Spark, by John J. Ratey, M.D. is the holy grail of research applications related to the interaction of exercise, neuroplasticity, and performance. The information on brain chemistry changes in the areas of learning, addictions, anxiety, depression, women’s issues, ADHD, and aging is priceless. The essence of the book is that the data indicated the brain is able to create new neuronal connections, grow new nerve cells throughout life, manage major psychological conditions, pain conditions, and learning is significantly enhanced through exercise. Ratey stated that “exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function”- based on hundreds of research studies (p.245). Ratey suggested that the more fit you get (regardless of where you start), the “ more resilient your brain becomes and the better it functions both cognitively and psychologically. If you get your body in shape, your mind will follow” (p. 247).

How much is enough? Ratey stated that walking is enough. Low-intensity exercise is at 55 to 65% of maximum heart rate, moderate is 65-75% and high intensity is 75-90%. “The process of getting fit is all about building up your aerobic base” (p.251). Ratey goes on to discuss the role of strength training and flexibility as important elements of optimizing your brain chemistry and hormone levels.

What does this have to do with optimizing your performance at work and in all areas of your life? Everything! Get started today and stick with it.

Our BizPsych monthly blog posts for 2011 have followed our sister company, MINES and Associates, with their monthly wellness themes. It has been an ever interesting exercise to create an organizational focus based on individual and family themes such as nutrition, education, and addictions – always requiring an interesting stretch (like professional yoga).

This month’s wellness theme is “Family TLC” and focuses on care giving. I was particularly perplexed by where the intersection might be between this topic and organizational development. As always, it has led to a number of interesting possibilities, perhaps resulting in more questions than answers.

First of all, it makes me think of the aging process of the organization itself, and who takes care of the “declining” or dying organization. Scores of organizational life cycle theories provide a highly useful perspective of the comparisons of individual human development with the life cycle of organizations. There are fascinating deviations in the terms and approaches to organizational life cycles, but essentially, most theories look at the life cycle of organizations as consisting of progressive phases: startup, birth and infancy, growth, maturity, decline, and death or renewal/redevelopment. It is the last three phases that stretch the notion of care giving.

These theories sometimes differ in whether the last stage is death or renewal. In some theories, the notion is that as organizations go beyond maturity they go into decline towards death and if they don’t find ways to innovate they will die – i.e., close doors, fail financially, or are sold. In other theories the order is decline, renewal, and then death. In essence all organizations eventually die. This may be true, however, most organizations are driven by the belief that they need to survive. This is also true of individuals and families and yet we finally come to acceptance that our family members will die. In healthy families, when there is a serious health decline, family members step in to provide the care giving. More often than not, the care is assisted or even coordinated by outside professionals. In the case of organizations, who is it that provides care when the organization goes into decline? By default, the care giving must come from the same leaders who are experiencing the decline. In some instances, there is a governing board that has enough distance to manage the care. Sometimes, the board is at the heart of the decline. Care giving in families is typically challenging and complex – yet care giving in declining organizations is additionally challenged by this lack of separation.

What are the implications of this metaphoric view of the organizational lifespan development?

It behooves organizational leaders to be knowledgeable and familiar with lifespan theory and have a good understanding of what is needed to care for each phase of the cycle.

When experiencing decline or challenges at any phase it is often helpful and necessary to utilize professional consultation and help in order to manage change and “care giving.”

As in families, leaders and employees must focus first on staying healthy themselves to have the ability to provide the care that is necessary to the organization in order for it to either renew or die with dignity.

When my husband and I were dating, I loved our late night talks. During one of our “what will the future look like” conversations we talked about the kind of house we wanted to own when we started to build our family. My primary thoughts were focused on how many children we would bring into our family and decide how many rooms we would need based on that. I found his responses to be incredibly telling of the man he is and surprising for a man of his age. His first thought was making sure we had enough room for his parents, should they ever need to live with us. Here I was, thinking about people that didn’t even exist, and he was looking out for the people who raised him in his very first house, that he still calls home.

My husband is being realistic and likely addressing something that I don’t want to. It’s so easy to forget that your parents aren’t superhuman. I still think my Mom is so strong and tall, just as I did when I was a little girl, even though I tower over her by 5 inches. And even though I am getting older and have a partner to rely on, I still need her all the time. It’s hard to think that one day, hopefully 40 years from now, she will need me.

On a separate note, MINES is preparing for the 2012 HR Webinar Series and we’re looking for some feedback. Please take a moment and follow this link to our 5 question survey to help us better serve your needs.

The way I communicate with my parents now is not all that different from when I was a child. My mom patiently listened to my thoughts, and after I finished, she would tell me where I went wrong and what I should do – It is still the same. I hear her saying the same things to me as she did 20 years ago; “Britney, you’re too emotional,” “Well, Britney, the only person you have control over is yourself,” and so on. And she still steps in with practical solutions and her own experience to tackle the issue. The bonus is that the older I get, the more she asks advice from me. It’s such a great feeling to have that mutual relationship with my mother. Because we have such an open and honest communication, I have learned that sometimes I am too emotional and need to stop worrying about the things I have no control over.

The communication between my Dad and I hasn’t changed much in the last 28 years either. He always offers his experience, analogies, and history to explain his reasoning. He still “tells me the ways it is.” Even if I have an iron-clad case against what he is trying to prove, he will always be right. And he picks apart my words to the point of making me want to stay silent. As frustrating as it can be to have conversations with my Dad, he has taught me to be extremely mindful in my communications with people. What you say isn’t always what someone hears and vice versa. It is important to state what you truly mean.

I know my parents and I will have to have difficult conversations in the future. I understand that we won’t always see eye-to-eye but the important thing is that we continue learning how to communicate. Please read this week’s article for excellent tips on communicating with your parents.